My Latitude has begun to overheat:

I dont know if im just unlucky or, in some way cursed by the Notebook Gods, but Im on my 4th E6400 in two years (Dell keeps sending me replacements) and now the one I have, is starting to overheat and is shutting down on its own.

Do I have any options/recourse her? I bought the 3 year warranty-are they just going to send me another one???

Have any of the newer models addressed these issues or is there some sort of fix that I should consider doing on my own. They are just going to want to send me another replacement which will likely have the same problems.

 

Many Latitude E6400 laptops have known throttling issues that were never fully resolved. When they send you another one of these, ask them why the previous generation Latitude D830 could run with the CPU and GPU fully loaded at full speed without throttling or overheating while the E6400 can not.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/6382880-post971.html

Since the throttling XPS1640 and XPS1645 fiasco, Dell has come a long ways and once again builds laptops that can live up to their specifications. The E6400 was a lemon so maybe you can keep telling them to send you out something decent for all the trouble you've been through.

 

Thank you for that info and thank for TS. Is it wasnt for TS, this laptop would be useless.
When you say "somthing" decent, what should I be "fighting"/asking for?

I feel robbed; I spent nearly 2k on this when it first came out and its been a nightmare ever since. I am not looking for any free replacement or upgrade, just a product that works and carries the specs i originally paid for.

How are the new Latitudes? Have they designed any new docking stations?

 

Same docking stations.

 

I use my mom's E6400 with no problems. What processor do you have? Also have you considered to repaste? Should only be Penryn processors in the E6400, so they shouldn't run too hot...

 

well dell replaced my M4400 with a brand new M4600 complete with a new 3 year prosupport warranty. but i did have to go without my laptop for almost a month before they did that. they captured the unit for testing in their technical centre before they could approve the swap

 

I had an overheating problem on my older Latitude. It was caused by dust clogging the air path inside the notebook (next to GPU, in my case). To solve that, it's not enough to clean the fan; you have to disassemble the computer, remove the keyboard and carefully clean inside, or better have a Dell technician do that for you!

Let me guess: you often use your laptop on your laps? Leave it running on the couch or on your bed? Have some dust on your table? The laptop needs good ventilation from the bottom and it also sucks dust like a vacuum cleaner.

Make sure to get a USB-powered laptop cooler. That solved the heating problems for me once and for all. Just make sure to get one that sucks air from the sides, not from the bottom. Good luck!

 

Personally, I undervolted the CPU (the E6400 has the last generation of CPUs for which RMClock would work) and this drops the maximum temperatures by, typically, 10C and avoids the throttling starting. I'm sure that the newer CPUs would run cooler if we could give them similar treatment.

John

 

Just resolved an over heating issue with my E6400. Removed the fan and then removed the thick layer of lint that had totally matted the heat exchanger vent vanes closed from the inside... 2.5 years worth.

GK